Awesome Again 2017: Odds and Analysis

The $300,000 Awesome Again (G1), which is one of two remaining Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ Challenge Series qualifiers for the Classic, drew a field of eight. Cupid, Dortmund, and Mubtaahij are the headliners of this final California prep race for the Breeders’ Cup’s richest race.

Prior to 2012, the Awesome Again was known as the Goodwood and together six Classic winners have used this Santa Anita stake as their final stop before the Breeders’ Cup. Mucho Macho Man did it in 2013, with a gap back to Pleasantly Perfect ten years earlier. It was Tiznow twice in 2000 and 2001, Alphabet Soup in 1996, and Ferdinand in 1987.

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Even with trainer Bob Baffert keeping Collected and Arrogate, the top two finishers from the Pacific Classic in the barn, this year’s Awesome Again has attracted a field that includes five graded stakes winners and five millionaires with three of them having at least one grade one victory on their racing resumes.

From a handicapper’s prospective the race is loaded with early speed as five of the eight horses have shown a liking to running on the front end. Will one of those five be able to carry that speed the entire mile and an eighth or will the winner come from off the pace? Let’s take a look at the field.

Win the Space [ML 15-1 - Pulpit – Papaprodromou – Talamo – 16: 3-1-4 - $294,141] This five-year-old has done his best running at Santa Anita where he has two allowance victories. He has had no luck in stakes company, including being eased in the 2016 Pacific and Breeders’ Cup Classics. On a positive note, he is a closer, but with only one race in August to his credit this year, it appears that this grade one is asking an awful lot. Asking Too Much.

NOTE: Win the Space is also entered in Sunday's John Henry Turf Championship.  

Dortmund [ML 8-1 - SCRATCHED Big Brown – Sherman – Stevens – 16: 8-2-2 - $1,987,505] The big son of Big Brown seeks to return to the glory that he found so many times at Santa Anita. It has been almost two years since Dortmund has won a race and that was the Native Diver (G3) at Del Mar. Since changing barns from Baffert to Art Sherman, the Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner had two lackluster starts. One was an experiment in a grade one turf stake and most recently a fifth behind Collected in April in the Santana Mile. He has been working steadily for his return, but he could be part of this early pace battle. No doubt a lot of the crowd will be rooting for him and a victory would be a great story, but he has a lot to prove here. So Many Questions to Answer.

Trainer Art Sherman announced he will SCRATCH Dortmund from the Awesome Again.

Midnight Storm [ML 3-1 - Pioneerof the Nile – D’Amato – T. Baze – 25: 10-4-1 - $1,723,110] Midnight Storm likes to run one way and that is straight for the lead and he will have plenty of company there. Although this Phil D’Amato trainee has most of his victories on the turf, he did win the San Pasqual (G2) on the Santa Anita dirt and was second to Shaman Ghost in this year’s Big ‘Cap. The nine-furlongs does push his distance limits and with this speedy bunch it may be a challenge for him to get the win, but no doubt this competitor will be a big factor in the outcome of the race. Speedy Competitor.

Curlin Rules [ML 6-1 - Curlin – Sadler – Prat – 14: 3-4-2 - $182,994] This son of Curlin has yet to win beyond the allowance level, although in his last start he battled with Cupid in the Brubaker Stakes at Del Mar and finished a close second in that field of five. That was his best career performance, but still he would have to make another big step up to deal with the speed in this grade one. In a Tough Spot.

Breaking Lucky [ML 5-1 - Lookin At Lucky – Baker – Smith – 21: 3-5-5 - $1,122,276] The Reade Baker trainee from north of the border has two grade one third-place finishes in a row in the Whitney and the Clark. He gets ‘Big Money’ Mike Smith as the rider for the first time, which should be a positive. He has not won in over a year, but he has been competing at the highest level in the interim. That victory came from a stalking position and he will need to employ that style to have a chance in this spot. Stakes Placed Again.

Mubtaahij [ML 4-1 - Dubawi – Baffert – Van Dyke – 17: 4-4-1 - $4,349,332] Moobie, as his loyal fans like to call him, returns to the races after running fourth in the Dubai World Cup behind the big boys, Arrogate and Gun Runner. Baffert puts blinkers on him for the first time, as the trainer looks to find a way to get the five-year-old back in the winner’s circle after a 2 ½ year absence. Mubtaahij's last win came in the UAE Derby (G2). He’s a bit of mystery horse to me, but maybe the blinkers will keep him focused. He will get a perfect set-up to make a closing move. Winless in 2+ Years.

Donworth [ML 6-1 - Tiznow – O’Neill – Gutierrez – 10: 2-2-3 - $347,690] His sire won this race twice, but he is another one who has gone more than two years without a victory. Thus, O’Neill also goes to the blinkers to change things up, but for a horse that has been running on or near the lead lately this could get him involved with some speedsters. If Donworth has a chance of a good result he will need to sit back and pass tiring horses. Trying the Blinkers.

Cupid [ML 2-1 - Tapit – Baffert – Bejarano – 11: 6-1-0 - $1,683,873] Cupid carries the Baffert banner in here and this son of Tapit is clearly the one to beat and likely a very short price at the betting windows. His May win in the Gold Cup (G1) was a signature victory that earned his highest career speed figure. However, the recent layoff lines in his past performances raise some questions. Six months off after the PA Derby to the Gold Cup. Then, three months off to August’s narrow win over Curlin Rules in the Brubaker with a big drop in figs. If he runs his Gold Cup race then Cupid will be very difficult to beat, but if he runs like in the Brubaker then this will no easy spot for him. The One to Beat.